Opinions And Critique Wanted

cbscreative

No problem. Hopefully it will help others here too. Thank you for the compliment.

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Steve Chittenden
Web/SEO Geek • Graphic Artist • Writer • Marketing Guy
One reason I know so much about the web and marketing is that I don't have to know as much about construction.

andres

Hi - from a SEO perspective there are a few things you should really, really do, all very low hanging fruits:

• Add a meta description in the homepage - this is so that search engines show that excerpt when they display your result in the SERPs
• Add your primary keyword in your homepage title. Right now you have Bath by US but it would more likely be other (try some basic keyword discovery)
• Edit your description at aboutus dot org - which right now shows up in the 1st page SERP... and ask them to remove the nofollow (PM me for instructions - this forum would not let me post URLs yet)

LMK if this helps...

joshua1

Danh, i agree totally with you- I have a webs41te, done by a whizzprat at not inconsiderable cost, and alison dubois with a gps could not find it in a small room with a maglite. That is because when it came to web optimisation, he did not know his asp from his elblow. Thats ok though, cos im rich enough and a long time at the business so really, I dont give a toss if customers can find me or not. Often im glad when they cant find me.
If you re-model bathrooms, and you are enough of a tosser to think that the majority of people are going to judge you or find you because of a logo or a website, I will be glad to buy up your tools when you go bust. How far can one outfit travel to re-fit a jacks? I personally hate going more than 20 miles to work, I do when I have to, but really, to advertise nationally or internationally, I would have to file for divorce and move into a cave- I cant keep up with the work we get by word of mouth.

cbscreative

Joshua1, I've enjoyed your posts. Although a bit over the top, it might surprise you that a web designer/logo designer would agree with you in many ways.

A logo does not make you successful. It is a visual identity symbol only. It supports your other marketing efforts, so without those other efforts, a logo is useless. A logo is important though. If it was not important, then the big companies would not bother having them. I believe those cheap logos are a rip-off most of the time because of what a well planned logo will do for a business, but I also agree that logo designers often overstate what a logo will do on its own.

It's interesting that you don't care if people can find you or not. I suspect most members here do not share that same sentiment. Word of mouth referrals are a powerful source of business, and you can easily lose those leads if you can't be found. That alone should be enough motivation for anyone to have their web site optimized. If someone has heard about you through a referral and they can't find you using a search engine, your chance of getting that referral is real close to zero. And a web site that does not compel people to choose you over a competitor is leaving money on the table.

The reason for a new business going under is usually not because they invested in good equipment, logo and graphics, web site, etc., I've observed that poor marketing is a leading cause. And having all the right materials does not equal good marketing.

__________________
Steve Chittenden
Web/SEO Geek • Graphic Artist • Writer • Marketing Guy
One reason I know so much about the web and marketing is that I don't have to know as much about construction.

joshua1

Hi, and thanks for the objective criticism of my views. Unlike me, you seem to be a very level headed and reasonable person!
I dont advertise in any way, shape or form. I have business cards that I mostly use to keep a filing cabinet from blowing away. I dont list my number, anywhere. I am also nicely busy. People who need us have my number, or find a way to get it. I used to love designing logos and headed paper and uniforms for the lads when I was younger, maybe its a phase we all go through! But then I also used to love working all day every day, and the novelty of that wore off as well. Quality of job beats quantity, and if you're quality, the world finds you. (Think about self-published authors and people who pay to record their crap c-ds themselves, if they were any good, the world would find them.)

Cdat

That right there is the truth. I love it when people spend all kinds of money to advertise on the web only to find out their local customer base most likely won't use the web. I've noticed just about any customer I've had over my age, never uses a computer unless it is for their business.

calpub

They use a computer for their business but don't use it to locate products/services on the Internet?

I find this hard to believe.

tinner666

My clients that found me on the web range from about 75 down to 33 or so.

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Frank Slate Roof Repairs, Richmond, Va.

joshua1

is that Dollar sales per job?

tinner666

Age.. Dollars are usually $xx,***. down to $2,***.

Keeps me busy!

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Frank Slate Roof Repairs, Richmond, Va.

Cdat

I live in Flint, Michigan. I need someone to work for me in Flint. Do I look on the web? Find every friggin' contractor out there or do I look locally? Usually at established businesses that don't always have a web site? I NEVER use the web to find products for my business. Why support another city or state when I should be supporting a local company, who, might I add, be a customer of mine some day?

What's that? I find it funny that I see a lot of people telling me how to run a business on the web and I see they are looking for customers on the web. I'm booked solid. I don't use the web except to gather intel on the enemy (you). Seems one of us has a better idea on what we need to do to make it in business.

tinner666

Web sites can be set up and optimized for local searches. Mine is. The people that call me are looking for local roofers and all say I'm # one when they searched. It's mostly about long tail keyword phrases. I got two new clients yesterday from the web. Both also said they had the trip fee in their hands too.

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Frank Slate Roof Repairs, Richmond, Va.

cbscreative

There is always a danger in assuming that just because you don't use the web, your customers won't either. Many will, and those on the web get the business.

As for the fact that you only want local results, that's obvious. The customer doesn't even have to know enough to use a city, county, or zip in their search term any more. Search engines know where you are when you search (they know enough about you that it can be scary). Besides, most people that use the Internet know to add a city to refine their search results. And many of the people who prefer the computer are your ideal customers. You don't have to be cheap to win them over.

There really isn't much point in considering whether a web site is valuable or not. Since Internet use and sales are climbing every year regardless of the economy, no one can intelligently argue with the success of the Internet. If you have a web site that doesn't perform, there's only a very small chance that your local market is the problem; there's a very big chance it's your web site that is the problem.

__________________
Steve Chittenden
Web/SEO Geek • Graphic Artist • Writer • Marketing Guy
One reason I know so much about the web and marketing is that I don't have to know as much about construction.